Printing tubular celluloid articles



Oct. 8, 1935.' G. A. GoEssLlNG 2,016,425

PRINTING TUBULAR CELLULOID ARTICLES Filed March 26,11934 u /NE/vrae Patented Oct. 8, 1935 l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 15 Claims.

My invention relates to the printing of tubular articles of celluloid and the like, particularly tubes of hexagonal or other polygonal external shape, such as pencil barrels. Printing over the edges of Celluloid and other tubular articles of polygonal external shape has heretofore been impossible as the variation in pressure on areas of different size engaging the printing plate has resulted in an impression of varying heaviness. In particular the concentration of pressure at the edges resulted in a very heavy impression there; so that the impression has been blurred and indistinct. The `invention has for its principal object a simple and inexpensive process of producing such articles with impressions thereon that are clear and distinct and free from heavy impressions along the edges.

The invention consists principally in printing on a cylindrical blank, applying to the blank a solvent and then subjecting the blank to a rolling or other suitable operation to give it av polygonal external shape. The invention further consists in the process and in the article hereinafter described and claimed. A copending app-lication Serial No. 39,457 filed September 6th, 1935, discloses and claims an apparatus and process similar to the disclosure of Figs. 6 and 7 for the shaping of unprinted Celluloid tubing, and also an apparatus and process for embossing and shaping celluloid tubing. v In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a view of a length of Celluloid tubin showing a blank cut therefrom,

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the process of printing on a round blank,

Fig. 3 is a view of the blank after printing, Fig. 4 is a similar view after the application of solvent to the blank, the solvent being indicated Y by cross-hatching,

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic sectional View of a die for tapering the end of the blank, showing the blank and mandrel therein,

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a rolling mill for shaping the blank, showing a blank in each of the roll passes,

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary front elevation of the shaping rolls,

Fig. 8 1s a View of the shaped barrel,

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 9--9 in Fig. 8, showing the cross-sectional shape of the barrel; and

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view of a different mechanism for shaping the blank.

In the drawing is illustrated the process of making a tubular barrel of celluloid for a mechanical pencil. Cylindrical blanks I are produced by cutting oif sections of a length of tubing A of circular section inside and out. Printing is then applied to the blank, as by rolling it over a suitable printing plate 2. The imprint or imprints may be made 5 at any desired point on the blank. The drawing illustrates an imprint 3 on the body of the blank I and a second imprint E near one end of the blank. To the printed blank Ia of circular shape is applied (after the ink has dried) a coating of 10 some solvent 5, as lacquer, that will harden'and protect the printed matter 3, 4 and that will soften the celluloid. The blank Ib is then placed on a mandrel li having a tapered end portion 1 and inserted into a tapering die 8 to taper the end por- 15 tion of the blank Ib. Said tapered end portion 9 is illustrated as being of circular section throughout its length but it obviously might be of polygonal external shape.

The blank Ic with the shaped end portion and 20 still on the mandrel 6 is then inserted into a suitable apparatus, as shaping rolls I0, for giving the body of the blank the desired external shape. The shape Id illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 is a hexagon whose faces are concavely curved.

'I'he preferred shaping apparatus includes a pair of rolls I0 whose surfaces are provided with mating peripheral grooves II that form the roll passes. The walls of said grooves II are shaped to give the desired configuration of the outer sur- $0 face of the blank I c. Thus, the uppermost pass I Ia in Fig. 6 gives the blank an octagonal external shape with plane faces I2, the middle pass IIb gives the blank a hexagonal external shape with plane faces I2b and the lowermost pass IIc gives the blank a hexagonal shape with concave faces I2C. Other shapes may be made by changing the configuration of the passes.

Forv convenience in illustrating the various shapes produced by the apparatus shown in 0 Fig. 6, a blank Ic is shown in each of the passes IIa, I Ib, IIc. While a plurality of passes may be Vsimultaneously used as thus illustrated, it is obvious that the usual practice will be to use only one pass at a time. However, the process might be speeded up by giving two or more passes the same configuration, so that such passes might be used simultaneously.

The printing of the end of the blank and the shaping thereof are both optional and may bei omitted. Likewise, the shaping die may be varied in size and configuration to give the end of the blank a different shape from the frusto-conical shape illustrated.

The shaping of the body of the blank may be done by other means than rolling as by dies, as described in connection with tapering the end of the blank, or by some such rolling apparatus as is illustrated in'Fig. 10 wherein rotary disks 20 are disposed around the blank in such position that each operates on a strip thereof to shape one face of the finished barrel.

The die shaping operation may, in some cases, result in some distortion of the'printed matter. Likewise, the rolling operation may, in some cases, tend to elongate the printed matter, although it will not change its size circumferentially of the blank. In either case, it is possible to compensate for the distortion in advance by making the original imprint of such character that it will make the usual and desired .impression upon the eye after the rolling or other shaping operation. In other Words, the original imprint may be distorted in such fashion that the known distorting action of the shaping operation will compensate for the original distortion in the plate and cause the iinal result to give the eiect of true size, shape and proportions.

The above described vprocess has numerous advantages. The printing is done by a simple and economical printing plate which can be made to produce any sort of impression, including designs, as Well as lettering. Using the plate to print on a blank of circular external shape produces an original impression that is clear and regular, particularly one that is free from heavy impression at all points. Applying the solvent permits the shaping. operations to be performed without destroying the appearance of the printing,` the .solvent protecting the printing against blurring or scratching.

Obviously, numerous changes may be made without departing from theA invention. For example, the shaping rolls need not be positively driven, the blanks mounted on mandrels being forced through the passes. The term printing is used in the broad sense of meaning any impression or ornamentation upon the surface.

What I claim is:

1. The process of producing printed tubular articles of celluloid and the like which comprises printing on a tubular blank, coating said blank with a solvent and then subjecting said blank to an operation giving it a 'diierent contour.

2. 'Ihe process of producing printed celluloid and like articles of polygonal external shape which comprises printing on a blank of circular external shape and then subjecting said blank to a shaping operation giving it a polygonal external shape.

3. The process of producing printed tubular celluloid and like articles of polygonal' external shape which comprises printing on a blank of circular external shape and then passing said blank between rolls to give it a polygonal external shape. 4. The process of producing printedcelluloid articles which comprises'printing on a cylindrical blank, coating said blank with a solvent, mounting said blank on a mandrel and subjecting said blank to a shaping operation.

5. The improvement in the process of producing printed hollow celluloid articles of polygonal, external shape which comprises coating a printed cylindrical blank with a solvent and subjecting said blank to a shaping operation. 5

6. The improvement in the process of producing printed hollow celluloid articles of polygonal external shape which comprises coating a. printed cylindrical blank with a solvent and rolling said blank to change its shape.

7. The process of producing printed celluloid and like articles which comprises printing on a cylindrical blank, coating said blank with a solvent and subjecting said blank to a shaping operation to give it a different external shape.

8. The process of producing printed celluloid articles of polygonal external shape, which comn prises printing on a blank of circular external shape, coating said blank to protect said printing and subjecting said blank to a shaping operation to give it a polygonal external shape.

9. The process of producing printed celluloid articles of polygonal external shape, which com-` prises printing on a blank of circular external shape, coating said blank with a solvent and subjecting said blank to a shaping operation to give it a polygonal external shape.

10. The process of producing printed tubular articles of celluloid or the like havinga polygonal external shape, which comprises printing on a hollow cylindrical blank, mounting said blank on an arbor and passing said blank between shap ing rolls to give it' a` polygonal external shape.

11. The process of producing printed tubular articles of celluloid or the like having a, polygonal external shape, which comprises printing on'a hollow cylindrical blank, coating said blank with a solvent to softenthe celluloid and to protect the printing, mounting said'blank on an. arbor and passing said blank between' shaping rolls 'to give it a polygonal external shape. i f

12. The process of'producing printed tubular articles of celluloid or the like having a polygonal external shape, which comprises printingon a. hollow cylindrical blank, coating said blank with 4.5 a solvent to soften the celluloid andto protect the printing, mounting said blank on an arbor having a tapered end, inserting said blank into a tapered die to taper the end of said blank and passing said blank between shaping rolls .to give it a polygonal external shape.

13. A celluloid barrel of polygonal external shape having an imprint thereon extending across at least one edge of said barrel.

14. A celluloid barrel of polygonal external shape having an imprint thereon disposed on portions of at least two sides of said barrel and extending across the edge between said sides.

15. The improvement in the process set forth in claim 11, which consists in modifying the pro- 00 portions of the original imprint to compensate for the distortions of said imprint that will occur during the rolling operation, whereby the imprint on the nished article has the desired proportions.

. 05 GERALD A. GOESSLING. 

